Pikmin properties being inconsistent

[KeketheBasedCat]

This might just be part of the design, but the various 'effects' that the pikmin have sometimes don't activate when their hitboxes connect. For example, if I fsmash with a red pikmin, sometimes it'll connect and do the flame sound/animation, and sometimes it'll just hit them in the same way a blue or white pikmin would. Same with yellows, where sometimes you get the electricity (which I believe increases priority by a lot) and sometimes it just slaps them like a blue pikmin would. This seemed to be the case with all of Olimar's smashes, though I didn't spend enough time testing it with things like aerials and sideB, nor did I see whether or not it affects the % done by the attack.
Again, sorry if it was intentional, I just figured it's worth bringing up.

 

[turtletank]

I believe it occurs when you hit with a sourspot.

 

[Xermo]

from my experience, pikmin effects only activate when they bloom. I believe in a bud, the effect is more random, and with leaf, there's no effect.

 

[KeketheBasedCat]

It might be something to do with sweetspot/sourspot, since red fsmash only seems to activate in long range and yellow fsmash only seems to activate in short range. Also I was testing this with newly plucked pikmin, so as far as I know it doesn't seem to correspond with the blooming. Might be worth looking into though.